365 Gratitude Project- Week 8

Day 48:

I am grateful that my son takes interest in things I do, and that he is independent and confident enough to jump right in and do it too.

Day 49:

I am grateful for this silly personality who always finds a way to make Mommy laugh. (he has always liked practicing fun yoga moves...)

 

Day 50:

I am grateful for my small family unit. The overall idea of family. The safety of family (thankfully I feel ours is a "safe place" when many people can't say the same). The unique love shared within the family. Everything about my little family. 

Bryce said today, "I love you Mommy, and baby Nathan the most…and Daddy the most too. Out of every person in this world, I love you and Nathan and Daddy the most!" 

His comment made me really grateful for this family. It's a simple, logical, "of course" kind of idea that you love your family the most, yet the comment still made me overwhelmingly grateful I have this comfort in my home and this safe family unit to love more than any other person in this world.

Day 51:

I am grateful for the one-on-one time I get to connect with Baby while Big Brother is in school. I appreciated all of that time I got with my oldest, and I'm so grateful I also get it with the youngest. 

Day 52:

I am grateful for dinner date nights downtown to reconnect a bit with my husband! (especially when the last few planned date nights/weekends had to be canceled because of sick kids)

Day 53:

I am so grateful for calm, quiet, relaxing, talk time with my son. I put the baby to nap, and went into my bedroom to take a quick deep breath "mommy time out" moment before going back down to play with Bryce. He soon came up, saw the ottoman piled with blankets and pillows, and decided to make a nice little bed for himself for "resting". For over an hour he stayed right there all comfy while I was all comfy in my bed, and we just talked about the world. It was truly one of the best moments of my life.

His comfy resting spot that he said, "Thanks Mommy, for putting these blankets here JUST FOR ME", and my view from my comfy spot on the bed. Peace.

Day 54:

I am grateful for the learning experiences with baking. I have never been a fan of baking, but it's fun to learn and experiment more now. I set up all of my different flours for gluten free baking, made up the dough wondering if the consistency was anywhere close to what it should be (who knows!), then I baked paleo blueberry muffins and gluten free sandwich bread. The muffins were a success, the bread a fail, but it's fun to learn at least. (Apparently this is what I do when I have to take time off running. Baking in place of running probably isn't the greatest idea I've ever had...)

 

365 Gratitude Project- Week 7

Day 41:

I am grateful that Daddy and Bryce can enjoy things together, like watching rocket launches. So. Cute. 

Day 42:

I am so grateful for modern conveniences...like the slow cooker which makes dinner time sooo much less stressful. 

Day 43:

I am grateful for the sweet innocence of a child. I think we can learn a lot from the way children look at the world. 

Day 44:

I am grateful for opportunities to work on cute projects with Bryce, and for opportunities for him to practice writing his name. (He got pretty confused making these monster Valentines for his class though, and kept saying it was Halloween because of the monsters...) 

Idea found here

Day 45:

I am grateful for all three of these boys' love in my life. The hands that warm my heart. My husband's and my two sons' hand prints for Valentine's Day. I love it. 

Day 46:

I am grateful for wonderful gifts sent/given to the boys from family. It's always sad to have so much of our family out of town, but they still find ways to make us and our boys feel loved! 

365 Gratitude Project- Week 6

 Grateful Week 6

Day 34: 

I am grateful for the silly things that only kids can figure out how to do, that make you say, "How in the world???".  My boys find things out that I didn't even know could happen. Although they are a pain to get back to normal (like somehow getting the TV picture to be on it's side), it's pretty funny at the time. It makes mundane daily life more interesting.

Day 35:

I am grateful for the cute conversations between these brothers.

Bryce: "Nathan Nu, how did you get in that closet?" ("Nathan Nu" is a name Bryce gave to him very soon after he was born. It stuck and now that's just his nickname).
"Really Nathan, how did you do that?"
Nathan looked right at big brother and said directly, "Ah Da!"
Bryce: "Ohhhhh, I seeee, you used your "ah da" powers to open the door. Good job!"
Nathan shook his head yes and smiled. 
I love it! "Ah da powers"! Of course! Ha!

Day 36:

To be completely honest, I didn't take one photo on this day. It was actually a pretty rough day.  I suppose that's the point of this project though, to find and focus on the things I can be grateful for, even in the middle of a bad day. I did see a few things in the day that I realized, even in the middle of it all, that I am grateful for (mostly medical world things, and of course sweet words from my husband and son), but no photos were taken. SO, for today, I just put this collage together of many other moments that make me grateful for ANY day, even the bad days.

Day 37: 

I am grateful for the moments I get to just sit back and listen to my son tell stories while playing with toys (especially when he doesn't think I'm listening or watching). I love soaking in these moments because listening to him talk and play is such a nice sound in the house, and it's something I will miss greatly when he gets older!

 

Day 38: 

I am grateful for smiles. 

LOOK AT THOSE TEETH!

Day 39:

I am grateful for sticky hand prints on the floor. Look closely...yep, the light came in just right to show a sticky hand print on the wood floor (which is also very scratched up). I thought this was so cute for some reason, even when it actually just means I need to clean the floors.  

Day 40:

I am grateful for the kids' bedtime....
Nothing sweet about this one. I'm honestly just grateful for the quiet time after they are down to bed.

365 Gratitude Project- Week 5

Grateful Week 5

Day 27:

I am grateful for texts from an amazing friend who I can share whatever I am feeling, without ever feeling judged, and hear back nothing but support and encouragement. Sometimes that support is calling me out, telling me I'm wrong and that I need to change. Sometimes it's just listening and validating. Sometimes it's holding on to reminders/experiences/previous conversations to bring up again at the perfect time when I need that encouragement most. This morning I was venting my concerns and how discouraged I am about being sick, which is putting me behind in training for my half marathon goal. The response in the screenshot below was that reminder, as well as the encouragement I needed today.

Now I actually have to believe it, but that's a different blog topic altogether... 

Day 28:

I am grateful for the ease of making coffee in the morning with the Keurig. I'm barely functioning in the morning on a good day, and functioning even less when I'm sick and exhausted. And, I'm grateful for nice large coffee mugs.... (I'm seriously supposed to be cutting caffeine out of my diet....tomorrow....)

Day 29:

I am grateful for the opportunities my son gives me to teach or reinforce life lessons now, when the situations are so small, and when he's still so young.

I walked into the playroom to find Bryce had knocked everything off the shelves, just for fun, just to make a mess. Why? Why does he want to be destructive sometimes? I seriously did not need this extra work today. I could have cleaned it pretty quickly, yet I decided to take the tougher, longer, (and more work for me) route. I can't help but think it's worth it to stand firm and give myself more work now, to be able to reinforce a lesson to Bryce (and hope standing firm now will make things easier and stick more later when the situations are more serious).

All I said was, "Oh my gosh, it looks like you have a mess to clean up."

His response, "but spaceship....I mean airplane was..."

"No, sweetie, spaceship did not knock this stuff off the shelf. Airplane did not knock this stuff off the shelf. Bryce did. And now Bryce gets to pick it all back up, clean up the mess HE made and take responsibility for his actions." (we did have a nice talk about "responsibility" later).

There was some complaining, crying, asking for teamwork, and trying whatever he could to get out of it for a long time at first. So much that I began to completely doubt my decision and if he could even get it done, thinking, oh no...what now??
But, he did it! After some encouragement, he finished the job, which admittedly was a pretty big job for a 4 year old. 

The best part? He always processes things aloud as they are happening, so I was listening from the other room and overheard him say during his cleaning, "Oh. My. Gosh. It takes a LOOONNGGG time to clean things up when I knock everything off the shelves."
Yes, yes it does. (lesson learned, or at the very least a lesson seed planted??)
He's such a good kid.

Day 30:

 I am grateful for homemade chicken noodle soup! This was my best batch yet!

The base recipe I used was here. I like the slow cooker recipes because it's easy to toss in and then I smell it all day. I changed it quite a bit and couldn't tell you exactly what I did differently, and I try to use fresh herbs when I can, but I like this recipe to begin, and it turned out very yummy this time!

 

  Day 31:

I am grateful for new cookbooks, especially ones with amazing layouts and photos! Seriously, EVERY cookbook should use photos for the table of contents. I learned something new about myself as well. Apparently, I enjoy reading cookbooks cover to cover when I first get them.
Although I haven't tasted the recipes yet, so can't give anywhere close to a full review, at first glance (and cover to cover read through), I already love this cookbook.

Amazon link for the book Make Ahead Paleo if you are interested.

 

 Day 32:

I am grateful for my son's brilliant blue eyes. It warms my heart that he may keep that little piece of me.
(and because I couldn't go the whole week without including at least one photo of one of the boys....)

Day 33:

I am grateful for a husband who dives right into home projects when I mention something I'd like. Yesterday I mentioned I wanted a corner bench in the playroom with a space for storage for toy bins underneath so I could get rid of the ugly bookshelf there. I gave him my idea, he went in the garage to grab wood, said, "would this work?", then started sketching out the ideas. Then today, Daddy and Bryce have already started building it!
I guess I now need to decide what color to paint it... and learn how to sew the cushion that will go on the top....

This is one piece. They will make another just like it to create a whole corner piece, do final touches, and then I will paint it and figure out how to make a cushion for the top. It's so simple, yet I love it!

365 Gratitude Project- Week 4

Grateful Week 4

Day 20:

I am grateful for PJ days! With as busy as things get sometimes, PJ, relax, no stress days are just what I need for my introvert personality.

Day 21:

I am so grateful for baby hugs! This cutie will stop whatever he is doing to come over and give me a big hug. SO SWEET!

 

Day 22:

I am grateful for the gym, my personal trainer, learning about lifting, and getting stronger. Although I was hesitant on it all at first, after a couple of friends' good advice, I chose the strength training/personal training route to add to my running. I am still so glad I made that choice (I will say more about this later in the grateful blog I'm sure). I actually didn't take ONE photo this day, so I'm using this photo that my personal trainer took (you can read more about my personal trainer here and his business Finding Fitness LLC).

 

Day 23:

I am grateful for adventure. This little one really teaches me to keep an open mind. 

This is what this car garage was made for right?!

 Day 24:

I am grateful for this child. This already walking, running, climbing, babbling, high-fiving, constantly moving, silly, smiley, lovey baby is now ONE.

He has taught me a new love I didn't know could ever exist. It's different (not more or deeper...just different) than the love I have for his big brother, or my husband, or friends or family.

He's melted my heart in a new incredible way. I've connected with him from the moment I saw him. He makes me smile and cry at the same time. 

I am forever changed with this little boy in my life. 

I am grateful for so much about this child, but my overwhelming feeling on this day is simply this: I am so grateful he is in my life. I am so grateful that he (exactly the way he is) is my son. 

Day 25:

I am grateful for small family celebrations. The birthday boy had a pretty nice fever causing him to be very sad and unsettled, so we had to cancel the party and instead do the cake and celebrations with just our small family. I actually loved this and I wasn't too disappointed at all with the change (other than wanting my baby to feel better). Maybe it's just the introvert part of me, but it feels wonderful to be so content with celebrations with just these few people. I feel good about the realization that I don't need a big party with a ton of decorations and other people to be happy. These wonderful people in my small family are more than enough.

Day 26:

I am grateful for new days and for grace, mercy, and forgiveness when I really blow it in this motherhood stuff. I've been having a hard time being patient with my 4 year old's defiant, button pushing, yet absolutely age appropriate behavior lately. Today we had a couple of pretty bad moments that ended in me yelling....not my proudest moments for sure. Then I took a mommy time out, but the damage was already done. So, today I was reminded of The Orange Rhino blog about a mother who took a challenge to not yell for 365 days. I first found her through 10 Things I Learned When I Stopped Yelling. You can read the whole Orange Rhino blog here. I can relate to a lot of what she says. I need to get back to a place where I am consistently showing respect to my boys by finding more productive ways to talk to them when I'm not so happy with what is happening at the moment. So, today I am grateful for that new day, fresh start, and renewed orange in my life. 

365 Gratitude Project- Week 3

Week 3 Grateful

Day 13:

I am grateful for a few different things in this photo. The story: Bryce decided that his airplane he named "child" was hungry and needed to eat. You see, airplanes aren't just toys, but family members in our house. While I was getting the baby ready, Bryce went to the fridge and grabbed a block of cheese for him. I later found this on the couch. I am grateful for my son's imagination, for the way he wants to take care of other people/things (most of the time), and for these images that I can't help but smile at when I walk by and notice it for the first time. I'm also grateful that we are financially stable enough and live in a time and place where it isn't an issue at all if my son grabs cheese out of the fridge (which did go bad) to feed to his toy airplane. 

 Day 14:

I am grateful for REST DAYS! As much as I love running and keeping a solid workout routine every day, I still fully enjoy rest days to recharge before more workout days. I especially enjoy when a rest day falls on a day like this, when I wouldn't really want to be out running anyway. 

 Day 15:

I am grateful every day that I come home from working out to a sweet 4 year old who says, "How was your workout today Mommy? Are you getting stronger?" (or "How was your run?"). As much as I love that he cares to ask, I am mostly grateful that I can teach him the importance of a lifestyle of staying active, healthy, and disciplined.

Day 16:

No I am not grateful for the piles and piles..and piles of laundry, nor am I grateful for the added time two boys put on this chore. What I am grateful for today is the silliness these boys show in every task, and the images I get to capture; images that may not help in the middle of the chaos and stress now, yet images that will warm my heart many many years from now!

Day 17: 

I am grateful for random fun dance parties with the boys. It seems silly to be grateful for something like that, but this is very important in my life right now, because this moment gave me one simple, yet overwhelming thought: "I am happy". The thing is, this Mommy wasn't always happy and fun ("fun" is still debatable). I struggled so deeply with postpartum depression (and really I still very much struggle off and on with depression and anxiety). There was a time, when Bryce was younger, when I wouldn't do anything close to a dance party with him. I wasn't smiling while listening to music, dancing just to have fun, getting on the floor to play with him often, or showing him how to love the little things in life (because I didn't feel any love for the little things in life at that time). I merely struggled to get through the day in one piece. I can't even describe how dark that time felt. Now, there is this today (and many, MANY days): smiling, laughing, loving, and dancing like crazy to fun songs in the kitchen. Just. For. Fun. Just because we are happy. Mommy is HAPPY.

 Day 18:

I am grateful for the running community. There are only a couple of other times in life I've felt the community connection and support as I have when I became a runner. 

Thousands of people ran today, all over the country, in honor of Meg Menzies. Meg was a wife, a mother of 3 young kids, and an avid runner who lost her life when she was hit by a drunk driver during her morning run (you can read the story here). The running community stood up to support the family by sending their love through running their own miles and posting their thoughts and prayers on multiple social media sites. This makes me feel so connected to the community and proud to be a runner. 

I also went beyond my comfort zone and ran with a group in an organized run today. I haven't experienced that and I am so glad I did it. It was fun, challenging, and again I got to feel that amazing running community connection! (plus those post-run doughnuts were seriously amazing...)

Day 19:

I am grateful for coffee.

In my favorite mug from Batton Clayworks

(I love the simple grateful to end the week after Day 17 and 18 were a bit deeper. It's absolutely important to be grateful for the super little things as well.)

365 Gratitude Project- Week 2

Grateful Week 2

 

 

 

 Day 6: 

I am grateful for the the food mess all over the house (especially for the bananas and strawberries that are permanently stuck to the kitchen wood floors), because this reminds me of the HEALTHY baby who is eating, throwing, and smearing all that healthy food around.

 And speaking of food....

 Day 7:

I am grateful for the new knowledge I've gained this past few months of what eating "healthy" actually looks like. It's been a process of retraining myself and my mindset after 30 years of routine, but I've been learning a lot and seeing positive changes already. Whether I do fully plunge into and remain in a gluten free diet, or just focus on eating clean, I am grateful for the opportunity to make these changes that will benefit both me and my family. (Secondary gratitude today: I am also grateful for good friends who choose the most thoughtful gifts. The bottom two books were gifts I received this Christmas.)

 

Day 8: 

I am grateful for my son's curiosity and willingness to learn new things, as well as the opportunities he has available to do so. There are some really neat toys out there that are perfect for his little analytical, engineer brain.

Day 9:

I am grateful for the daily companionship I have with the kids, even if they make my daily tasks ten times harder. Seriously, it's never a dull moment and I always have somebody around to talk to...even if I'm answered in baby talk...

 Day 10:

I am grateful for a big fun backyard for the boys to run and play. B can play happily outside for hours (even in the snow), while I can still watch him from all the big windows looking out over the yard. (I am also grateful for Friday, because Friday is the day we don't have to do ANYTHING. We can just hang around the house in PJ's, relax, play inside or outside, and just enjoy our time together! I think everybody needs downtime days at least once in awhile!)

Day 11:

I am grateful that the boys have an amazing father who is fully involved in their lives. They have a wonderful role model and a father who loves them beyond belief and who tells them that every day! (This picture of N hanging out in Daddy's jacket is just so cute!)

Day 12:

To end this week, I am grateful for the ability and the energy to run, workout, and remain strong and healthy (I'm sure running will hit this grateful project a few times throughout this year). This was a good fitness week with a workout each day and a total running mileage of 22 miles. Sometimes when I think everything else in life is tough, I can look at the simple fact that my strong body (and mind) can take me through a nice 10+ mile run when I used to never think that would be a possibility.